Just a Moment
by TimmyTam0907
Summary: Being a doctor, Mercy will always need more time - whether for work, or when it comes to a matter of life or death. With all her time being Mercy though, she sometimes wishes she had more time being Angela. Sometimes, she wishes she had more than just a moment of peace and quiet for herself. But, because of this, she understands how important "just a moment" can be


As a doctor, one quickly learns that they can only do so much to keep someone alive. And in a time where death becomes a sight so common, a doctor learns how to turn off their emotions when it comes to their patient. Because as a doctor, they know that they're the only ones who can help. And if they allowed their emotions to interfere, then they would not do their jobs as a doctor. They know… As a doctor, they're the only hope for families of and for those knocking on death's door. As a doctor, they're the only ones who can help prevent death from taking someone. As a doctor, they know what death looks like – they know when time's up.

As a doctor… they know how precious every second is as someone's life could slip from their fingertips.

But Mercy knew that as a doctor, if there is even just a slimmer of hope in saving someone, a thin thread of life, then she would take it. It was her _duty_ as a doctor.

Sweat dripped down her brow as she worked as fast as she could on the soldier lied before her. Her bloody gloved hands cold, but steady despite the cramping that was numbed by the adrenalin coursing through her body.

She had to be careful, she had to be fast. She was working against time, time she didn't have. She had to prevent time from taking this soldier before her. She had to keep this soldier from taking his last breath because he was still needed. He was still needed on the battlefield. He had to return back to base. He had to get his medal of honor. He had to return back home. He was still needed back home. His mentor still needed him. His family still needed him. She needed to save him. She just needed more-

"Mercy, we need to call time."

"No!" She shouted, her eyebrows knitting together in determination. Or was it out of stubbornness? She couldn't tell, but she knew that there was still hope for this soldier. "Just keep the healing stream engaged and-"

Bullets were fired far too close to the med team for her liking, causing her to grit her teeth as she shouted, "Keep them off me!"

"Mercy! We don't have time! He's a lost cause! We need to leave now!"

With numerous near deadly injuries, including a head that was split open, partially showing ribcage, and a severed left arm, nearly everyone would think that this soldier was lost.

But Mercy was not "nearly everyone".

If they were not on the battlefield with their lives hanging on a thread, the accompanying battle medic would have been in awe at Mercy's speedy and precise work. Already she had managed to stitch close the head injury and limit the amount of bleeding from the severed leg, but the wound at the side of the soldier's chest was just too complicated to be completed under these conditions… The accompanying medic saw it, but Mercy was undeterred.

"Just keep the healing stream engaged!" She ordered, working furiously against what little time they had. "I just need a few more minutes!"

"We don't have enough time!"

"I'm almost there!"

"Mercy! Mercy!"

She ignored the other battle medic, focusing all her energy on saving the soldier.

Her hopes were raised when the soldier opened up his eyes, staring up into her own. His eyes tried welling up, but couldn't due to the state of dehydration his body had entered from blood loss.

Still, his relief and comfort was so palpable that his body fought to allow one tear to shed down the side of his face as he weakly reached up for the doctor's shoulder, grasping it in his ghostly fingers. "Doctor. Doctor Ziegler…"

Recognizing that this man needed a comforting image, and not a stressed doctor, Mercy forced a soft smile to be displayed on her features, briefly glancing into his eyes before settling back on his injury. "I'm right beside you Jesse." She whispered

"Please. I don't want to… I don't want to…" He hoarsely begged, refusing to verbalize the possible end to his life.

She nodded, "Don't worry, I've got you."

A small smile whisked across Jesse's features, his eyes closing in gratitude as the accompanying medic stared in horror at the closing enemy line.

"Doctor Ziegler!"

Snapping out of her thoughts with a small gasp of air, Mercy halted in the middle of the hallway from her hurried pace over to the medical bay. She tried to steady her racing heart and school her features before turning around, hugging a small stack of manila folders to her chest, as she searched for the person calling for her. "Torbjorn." Angela said with mild surprise, though she smiled regardless due to seeing her friend. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She noted that the engineer was in a tremendously good mood if the bounce in his steps and cheery demeanor were anything to go by, so she expected nothing short from positive choice words from him.

Evidently, he was so excited that he couldn't even wait to stop in front of Angela to inform her of the reason for his good mood. "We found a pilot!" He joyfully announced, emphasizing his cheer by hopping into the air and bumping his fist and claw above his head.

Pulling her immaculate eyebrows together in question, it took a moment for Angela to realize what he was referring to before her expression relaxed, "Ah, for the Slipstream?"

Torbjorn nodded eagerly, stopping in front of Angela as his arms gestured wildly. "She's perfect I tell you! Best of her class, a near perfect record, great marksmanship… fearless!"

Angela nodded along, his eagerness infectious, and even though she did not share his passion in the teleporting fighter as he did, she was still very happy for her friend. "That's great news Torbjorn."

"You bet your medical bay it is!" He guffawed, "She's already on her way here!"

"I was under the impression that the fighter was still being constructed?"

The engineer nodded, "Yes. But she was so excited about test piloting it, she wanted to take a look see. We obviously couldn't deny her!"

Angela hummed; she supposed she could understand the interest and eagerness of wishing to see a whole, brand new aircraft for a pilot. "Well, I hope that you have an enjoyable time with her and that she enjoys the concept as much as you do." She said politely, hoping to disengage from the conversation and return to her medical bay. As much as she loved spending whatever free time she had with her friend(s), there was still work to be done and she would rather finish as much as she could as soon as possible.

"Actually doctor," Torbjorn began, "There was another reason why I stopped you."

Staying silent, Angela fixed a stare toward her friend to clarify.

"We need you to build up a medical profile for her, just to make sure that she's in tip top shape. And er…" He scratched the side of his cheek with his prosthetic. "We were hoping you'd… show her around."

Having traveled to so many military camps throughout her years, Angela knew political speak when she heard it. So her eyes narrowed down at her friend, glowering at his subtle suggestion to watch over and ensure their potential recruit didn't cause trouble, "I'm not a babysitter."

"Angela, please." Tjorborn insisted, raising both his arms, the palm of his hand facing her in a universal sign of surrender.

Sighing, she raised her own free hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, lightly massaging it to help ease her tension.

Recognizing that this was his only chance of convincing her, Tjorborn began his appeal. "We just need someone to keep watch over her and make sure she stays out of trouble."

"Well then get Ana to do it," Angela stated. "I'm certain she'll be more than happy to volunteer and be your watchdog."

Wincing, the engineer began looking more nervous as he rubbed his claw.

Noticing how her friend began visibly shrinking, Angela breathed out another sigh. "What is it?"

"Well we were hoping for someone with a… softer hand." He stated. "We really want to make a good impression for her to stay."

Angela arched a brow, "Test piloting a teleporting jet isn't enough?" She asked in disbelief, as disdain for the person crept into the pit of her stomach for having the audacity of taking advantage of the privilege bestowed upon them. So much time was already used to search for an exceptional pilot; the idea of using more to suck up and ensure their cooperation left a sour taste on Angela's tongue. Time was not something Overwatch could afford to waste.

"No, actually it seems that she's already sold. But we want her to actually _like_ being here." He clarified. "You should take a look at her profile, she would make a great agent while she's grounded." He happily claimed. "No use standing around and twiddling her thumbs while we finish up our project. She can help us out with other missions in the meantime."

Another sigh escaped from Angela's mouth, her previous feelings toward the recruit already dispersing as she resigned herself to her friend's plea. With words like that, she supposed she could understand the reasoning for wanting to recruit someone who wasn't _just_ a pilot. "Oh alright. I suppose I can look after her for the time being."

Tjorborn visibly brightened, "I owe you one doctor." He grinned before turning to leave, "We'll send her to your med bay when she gets here."

"I look forward to it." Angela dryly stated before the two departed.

A heavy, silent breath escaped from the doctor's nose as her pace slowed considerably compared to before speaking with her friend, taking just this moment to allow her body to relax and release tension. Her chest slowly rose as she straightened her shoulders and back with a slow and deep inhale, and then quickly released it with a firm nod and a renewed sense of purpose to help pick up her pace.

It didn't take long until she reached her personal medical bay; gently waving with a small smile to the rest of the medical staff and Overwatch employees she passed by. Once Mercy settled in her desk, it was only reasonable, as she neatly placed her folders to the side, that she try her best to finish as much work as she could before the young pilot arrived. So with a quick stretch of her arms, she immersed herself into her work immediately after.

The doctor kept burying herself in the paperwork, not stopping or even taking the time to glance up until nearly finishing half the stack of papers she brought in. It was only then that she decided to take a brief moment to stretch and roll the kinks out of her neck while glancing over to the clock by the door.

Only to find a girl happily sitting at the chair by the entrance with her legs pulled up underneath her, cross-legged with her hands holding her ankles while her eyes scanning the room in curiosity. Her gaze snapped back to Angela almost immediately upon the doctor noticing her, and gave a wide grin that showed off her teeth.

"Hiya!" The stranger greeted, bringing a hand up to give a small wave.

It took less than a second for Mercy to figure out who this girl was, as she had given full permission to for everyone to get her attention when it was required knowing fully well that she would otherwise ignore her surroundings for an unknown period of time. A feature she was very aware of and was rather embarrassed about, causing her to become rather flustered.

"Oh goodness! I-I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in!" Angela apologized, scrambling out of her chair as she brought her hand up to shake the others'.

"It's alright!" the pilot smiled, jumping out of her chair with glee and clasping Angela's hand with both of her own in a firm grip, enthusiastically shaking it. "I'm Lena by the way."

"Doctor Angela Zieglar, a pleasure to meet you." Angela nodded, taking her hand back and subtly stretching her fingers to remove the sensation from the friendly handshake. Being so used to receiving terse, professional handshakes, it felt odd to be given an incredibly friendly one. "I really am sorry I didn't notice you come in."

Lena laughed, "It's okay! You looked busy, so I didn't want to bother you. I'm sure that whatever you're doing is super important, especially since you're a doctor and all that."

Angela's hairline rose in surprise at the girl's respect for medical work as the doctor's shoulders and heart seemingly relaxed, reveling in the appreciation. The pilot doesn't seem so bad… maybe showing her around won't be as much trouble as Angela initially thought. "Thank you, but it's not so important that I'm required to complete them immediately." The doctor stated, gesturing with her hand; palm facing up. "I assume you were told that I'd be showing you around?"

Lena nodded, "Yup!"

Her eagerness was infectious, and Angela couldn't help but to allow her smile to widen. "Alright, but before we leave, I do need to build your medical profile."

"So long as there are no surprise shots involved, then I'm all for this." The pilot grinned, eliciting a small chuckle from Angela.

Lena happily strode on over to the scale and height measurer, puffing her chest out just a tad and straightening her back as much as she could in hopes of increasing her height.

The action made Angela raise an amused brow.

Realizing she was caught, Lena puffed the air out of her mouth with a giggle causing the doctor to shake her head with another chuckle of her own before charting down the pilot's height.

"You're not that short." Angela commented, patting on the bed for Lena to sit on.

"I'm not tall either!" Lena quipped, hopping up with a verbal. "Alley-Oop!"

The doctor merely hummed as she finished the rest of the check up with Lena's childish enthusiasm. By the end of it, Angela couldn't help but teasingly ask, "Do you want a lollipop?"

"Lemon please!" Lena happily smiled, pulling her legs underneath her.

"Oh," Angela paused, warily eyeing Lena to see any signs of jest, but the pilot seemed to actually expect a lollipop. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd actually want candy."

Lena seemed to deflate a little, but just as quickly she brightened back up. "That's okay! It's not like I need it." She shrugged, hopping off the bed.

Still feeling rather guilty, Angela apologized once again as she put her equipment away and led the pilot out of the medical bay.

Lena really didn't seem to mind though, as she merely giggled. "It's okay! Really!"

Angela still couldn't shake the weight off her chest though; disappointing Lena was akin to seeing a sad, abandoned dog…

And Angela had seen her fair share of abandoned animals…

"How about I make it up to you?" the doctor asked. "The food here is fairly decent..." the last word hitched, sounding more like a question than a statement. To be honest, Angela couldn't remember what the food tasted like.

"Are you sure about that love?" Lena asked teasingly, "Because I don't want food poisoning if I can help it."

Angela chuckled nervously, keeping her eyes planted straight ahead to avoid looking into Lena's. "I'm sure there's nothing wrong with the food. Regardless, if you do happen to get sick then there is a medical bay. I'd be more than happy to have your company."

"So, you'd be happy to see me sick?" Lena asked, incredulity filling her voice with an underlying tone of jest.

Angela didn't seem to notice though, as she snapped her head toward Lena with wide eyes. "No!" She frantically denied, "I just meant-"

The doctor paused in her speaking upon being interrupted by a giggle. Noticing that Lena was no longer following after her, the doctor whirled the rest of her body around to face the same direction as her head, the sight of Lena bending over and clutching her stomach filling Angela's eyes, her mouth slowly closing shut in confusion as she tilted her head to the side. It wasn't until a few seconds later; the realization of being teased had clicked into her mind, causing heat to creep up her neck in embarrassment for not noticing sooner.

"I'm sorry, but you took that so seriously." Lena snickered, lightly covering her mouth as she tried to stand up straight once again, though failing miserably. "I couldn't help but laugh."

Angela gave a strained, nervous smile as she anxiously shoved her hands into the pockets of her medical coat. "It's quite alright." She assured, though she was still trying to calm herself down. She wasn't used to being teased, or being caught off guard so often in a short period of time. The doctor reasoned that it was due to her still being in "work mode" and being introduced to someone who seemed to forgo all professional barriers.

It took a while until Lena was able to calm down and close the few feet of distance between her and Angela. The moment she was in reach though, the pilot brought a hand up to Angela's furthest shoulder to give a reassuring squeeze and half hug.

Before the shock could settle onto Angela's features though, the physical altercation ended and the pilot's arm dropped back to her side.

"So where are we off to doc?" Lena asked.

Being addressed seemed to be able to shake Angela out of her brief stupor, but she still had to blink a few times in succession to help her brain register the world around her. "Uh, yes. Well…" She tilted her head back to look at the ceiling as she pondered the question, "I supposed we could just start here at the medical wing, then make a round throughout the base. Unless," she briefly paused as she flickered her eyes on over to Lena, "is there any particular area you would like to visit?"

Lena pried her lips to the side of her mouth, tilting her head and flickering her eyes in the same direction as she crossed her arms to show that she was scouring through the depths in her mind to see if there was any specific part of Overwatch she wanted to see. Angela gave an amused smile, resisting the urge to chuckle at the rather endearing sight, but instead, she merely brought a hand up to partially cover her mouth. It only took a few seconds until the corner of Lena's mouth stretched on over to the other side to display a full-fledged grin as she straightened her head back up.

"Nope! I just want to see everything!" She excitedly proclaimed, swinging her arms out to her sides for emphasis.

At this, Angela couldn't help it and allowed a short giggle to escape from her mouth, reflexively closing her hand into a loose fist as she turned her head to the side in a bad attempt to hide her amusement.

Lena beamed at the sight though, patiently waiting for Angela to gather herself.

It didn't take long as Angela was able to stop the moment she brought her hand back down, though her smile persisted. "How about we just start here for now?"

The young pilot agreed with a noise of confirmation and a nod of her head, allowing the doctor to lead the way.

Throughout the tour, Angela found that she rather enjoyed Lena's company. The younger woman was most definitely entertaining and the doctor could not remember the last time she had so much fun. Of course though, Mercy's sense of duty began worming its' way to the forefront of her mind and not two hours later when they arrived to the cafeteria for dinner, she began feeling antsy.

Lena seemed to have notice as she immediately addressed the issue. "Itching to get back to work?" She asked as she gathered her food.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Angela turned her head toward Lena with a polite smile. "Not really, it's nice to have some time to myself and away from work."

"But it's not really work though is it?" Lena asked, drawling out the exaggerated word before the doctor's job. "It's you."

Something warmed inside Angela's chest at that proclamation as her thoughts came to a slow and allowed the words to sink in.

Lena didn't seem content to stop there though, as she continued rattling on. "I mean, I know I've only just met you today, but I can tell that it's more than just work for you. You lose yourself in your paperwork, you were happy to tell me all about the medical wing, you always asked how everything was when we stopped by a gurney or med room, you took your time to talk or reassure a patient. You were in your element… and it was really quite amazing to see."

The doctor's felt her face warm at the knowledge of how much Lena had paid attention to her. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such observations, it was usually her that had to pay a close eye on everyone around her.

Not knowing what to say, Angela merely gave an awkward smile and a simple "Thank you."

Lena flashed a grin up at the doctor as the two gathered their trays of food and paid.

Before Angela could locate and procure a seat for the both of them though, Captain Ana Amari blocked her sight and path.

"Ana" Angela greeted in surprise. "Can I help you?"

Ana didn't seem to hear the words directed her way as she stared thoughtfully down at a rather awestruck Lena with an arched brow, as though contemplating on what to do with the young pilot. Without taking her eyes off of Lena, Ana greeted the doctor with absent wave of the hand. "Angela. Good evening, I just wanted to take a look at the new recruit that Torbjorn had snuck in past me." She stated, crossing her arms.

"Wow!" Lena blurted, "I can't believe it! It's a huge pleasure to meet you Captain Amari! May I shake your hand?"

Though initially shocked, Ana's expression quickly changed as she gave an amused chuckle, nodding in agreement as she held a hand out for Lena. "Of course you may. I take it you're a fan?"

"Boy am I!" Lena enthused, wrapping Ana's hand in both of her own to give an eager shake. "You helped save me and my home town a few years back with just a handful of soldiers!"

Ana furrowed her brow, staring at Lena's features as she tried to recall where she might have seen the young woman before or if she even met her before.

Lena merely gave a soft giggle of understanding, "It's alright Cap, you've probably seen a lot of people and places."

Amari had an apologetic smile as she reached up and ruffled the pilot's hair, "What a nice girl."

Lena grinned at the affection, nearly preening at the attention given to her and causing Ana's smile to grow bigger.

"Angela, how about I take her off your hands?" Ana asked, "I'm sure you're busy with your work."

Usually, Angela would be more than happy to get more time for work… But for whatever reason, the idea of going back to her office alone made her frown. Regardless, there was still work to be done, and the doctor couldn't afford any more distractions. Besides…

Angela quickly glanced over to Lena, noting her happiness at being in close proximity and someone she most likely believed to be a hero, causing the doctor to believe that maybe Lena would have more fun with Ana then hanging around Angela all day.

"I do still have some papers to go over." Angela mused allowed.

"Then it's settled." Ana stated with a firm nod, "Looks like I'm handling the rest of your tour rookie."

That seemed to shake Lena out of her awestruck reverie as she tilted her head over to Angela in question, whom merely gave an uncertain smile.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I do have to finish the rest of my papers."

A small pout showed Lena's disappointment, but it was so brief, Angela wasn't even certain that she saw it as Lena shrugged it off and replaced it with a grin. "I understand doc. Thanks for today, I hope I see you again."

"Well if you ever get hurt, then you most likely will." The doctor stated with a more natural smile

"Don't worry Angela, I'll make sure she stays safe." Ana laughed, clapping Lena on the back joyously.

A small frown managed to work its' way across Angela's features at that proclamation. Knowing Ana as she did, there was no doubt that the captain would ensure (to the best of her ability) Lena never suffer an injury that would place her in the med bay. Still, that should be a good thing, so the doctor forced a pleasant smile to display across her features. "Of course. But please, do keep in mind that a gash is not, in fact, just a scratch."

Ana merely waved Angela off as she kept an arm around Lena's shoulders to guide her away. Lena kept her eyes on Angela for as long as she could, until the Captain took her attention away.

With that, Mercy turned toward the exit in the opposite direction, taking her tray with her as she made her way back to her office.

The walk back was quiet, peaceful. Moments like these were usually times she enjoyed for herself before some memory of times so long ago drudged up to the forefront of her mind, begging her to see the fault in her previous self's actions and to see what she could have done better if that situation were to occur now.

And yet, no memory resurfaced during the entirety of her walk back to fill her reticent mind.

It continued on like this even as she sat down in her office and did her papers, mindlessly reaching and chewing her food every once in a while.

Time seemed to pass quickly once again as she lost herself in her work. Before she knew it, most of the lights outside her office were out, indicating that the majority of employees had signed off to call it a night.

She looked down at her nearly finished work as her mind wandered over to the young pilot she had the pleasure of encountering earlier that day.

If Angela had more time, she would have been more than happy to spend it in the bright and refreshing company of the young woman.

As it were though, Mercy could not afford to allow herself too much time that could otherwise be spent on work.

Work that Lena became in the few months after as she once again sat in the med bay with a sheepish smile, a twisted/limp leg, and with at least half a dozen darts sticking off her body.

"… Ana." Mercy blankly stated.

"Angela, so good to see you again." Ana replied, though her actions betrayed her words as she tried to look anywhere but the doctor. "You look tired, you should rest up more often."

The doctor gave a weary sigh as she felt a headache coming on with a strong urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Pray tell, should I even ask?"

"Well, should your curiosity ever overcome you, just remember to ask Reindhardt." Ana said in a suggesting tone, "Because I can assure you, everything was his idea."

This time, Angela allowed herself to succumb to her urge as she raised a hand up to help sate her headache and another breath of exasperation to escape her nose.

She really should have expected something along these lines to happen, they always do when it came to those under the Overwatch faction. At least she could count on Gabriel to ensure those under him to not do anything reckless that would have them end up in her med bay. She can't even remember the last time she had to look over Mcree other than after a particularly dangerous mission on the field.

"I'll keep that in mind," Mercy drawled. "Now if you would excuse us, I can take it over from here."

Ana nodded, complying (rather eagerly, Angela noted) with the subtle suggestion to get out of the room.

With another sigh, Mercy turned to her patient, eyeing her for a moment before deciding that it would be best to pull the darts out first before she analyze Lena's leg.

"Care to explain?" She tried, hoping Lena would be more receptive in telling the doctor what happened as she yanked a dart out

Lena looked up in thought, wincing every now as a dart was pulled out of her body. "Well, we were on the training ground for a battle simulation Ja- I mean, Captain Morrison had us go through. Captain Amari wanted to try this new strategy out that involved Reindhardt throwing us." She began, summarizing the situation as though it were another mundane item of the day.

"I assume breaking a leg was a part of the strategy then." Mercy stated in a disapproving tone, gesturing for Lena to lie down on the bed as she stretched out her leg. She had to assess how bad of a break it was before figuring out the best method to help the bone heal.

Lena winced again, trying to make herself comfortable. "Bad luck on my end that was. The other team changed course mid throw, and I caused collision. Ended up landing all wrong but hey! Through all that mayhem, we still won. "

"Hm, yes. And the sacrifice of your leg for a fighting simulation will be remembered for years to come." Mercy deadpanned, punching in some buttons at the side of the bed to pull up a scanner overhead to give an x-ray of Lena's leg. As it scanned, Angela walked over to her desk and opened up a tablet.

"Not unless I put that in my biography!" Lena cheerfully stated, "Then it'll be remembered for lifetimes to come!"

The corner of Mercy's mouth quirked up, delighted by the young woman's optimism. "You want to write a biography?"

Lena nodded enthusiastically, "Of course! I mean, I'm sure you already know, but Mei is SUCH an inspiration. Especially to me! She's sort of my own personal hero and I can only hope to inspire someone else!"

"Is that one of the reasons why you accepted Overwatch's offer so quickly?"

"One of them." Lena bashfully stated, rolling her eyes to the corner to avoid looking at her doctor as pink lightly tinged her cheeks.

Mercy hummed, allowing that small piece of information to sink in. "Well, I'm sure Mei will be overjoyed to know how much that she is appreciated." She stated, "You, on the other hand, may not be so receptive to what I'm going to say next."

Lena, immediately recognizing that the doctor bore some bad news, allowed her face to fall. "I'm grounded aren't I?"

"Worse, bedridden." Mercy stated with amusement.

The young pilot let out a dramatic cry of protest, shaking her head from side to side. If it weren't for the huge grin on Lena's face, Angela might have thought that a tantrum was being thrown. The young woman stopped, mustering up her best dramatic look of shock and worry toward Angela as she adopted an old posh accent only heard in those old soap operas. "How long do I have doc?"

Deciding to play along with this act, Angela tried her best to adopt a most foreboding look. "2 weeks at most."

Lena feigned a gasp of horror, "But doctor! What am I going to do in bed all day!"

No longer able to keep up her act, Angela began giggling, bringing a closed fist up to her mouth as she turned her head away. "Oh I'm sure you can find plenty to do, reading for one."

Lena hummed, musing on the suggestion and dropping the act. "I suppose, but honestly I'd rather much have a stack of scrap paper and a window."

"I'll see what I can do, but for now let's get you in a cast." Angela suggested

Lena grinned, "Light Blue?"

A chuckle, "If you'd like. Do you want a lollipop with that?" Angela asked, remembering Lena's first amusing visit as she tapped a few buttons to send the requisitions and call for another employee.

"Lemon please!"

Angela lightly shook her head in amusement as the employee she called for entered the room with a wheel chair for Lena, ready to move the pilot into another room for her cast and most likely to a recovery room. "I'll see what I can do. I'll be checking in on you twice a day, but otherwise – do try to stay in one spot and off your leg."

"Will do doc!" Lena stated with a playful salute as she hopped into the wheelchair.

Angela allowed a small crooked smile to cross her features as she thought about how amusing the next two weeks will be. Unbeknownst to her, the employee casted a surprised look her way before wheeling Lena off.

For the next couple of weeks, Mercy found herself spending an extra few minutes during Lena's check up and leg, as per required when using a healing stream for the pilot's leg. These few extra minutes that increased with each passing check up.

From an extra minute to a quarter of an hour, time spent that wasn't for anything… important. Angela merely wished to continue talking, and found herself a little disappointed when duty called for her.

Those few extra minutes did not seem to be enough for Angela, as she wanted to spend more time in the humorous young woman's company. She wanted to learn more about the younger woman, she wanted to know more about the places she visited, the journeys and adventures she's been on, the people she's met… all of the different types of skies she's flown through.

She couldn't though, because Lena was _work_. And Mercy's work always came before Angela.

But, on the last day of Lena's stay, the doctor stood in the doorway to watch Lena staring out into the distance toward the sunset with a newly folded paper airplane as orange hues blanketed the room, causing the scattered scrap paper and discarded paper planes littering around the patient to glow, Angela couldn't help but wistfully think about how it would be nice to spend some time with Lena that wasn't just for work.

As if sensing her, Lena turned her head toward Angela with a grin. "Heya! Here to check up on me?"

Angela gave a small, albeit tight smile, "Yes."

Lena didn't seem to notice as she looked down at her paper plane, rolling it in her fingers. "Alright. Before we do that though," she looked back up with a bright smile, "Care to help me put these fellas in the air?"

She couldn't help but to nod in agreement.

"Great!" Lena shouted, swinging her legs toward the window side in excitement.

Angela allowed an amused chuckle to be released from her breath. Walking around Lena's bed, Angela made sure to place the medical chart down at the foot before meeting up next to her.

"What do you need me to do?" Angela asked

"Just grab as many as you can, keep them upright, and send them off!" Lena grinned, already gathering many of the planes and trying to position them correctly in her hands.

Angela raised a skeptical brow, "Although it's been a while since I've thrown paper airplanes, I am quite certain that this is not how it is done." She stated, complying regardless.

"Sending them off one by one is boring though! And a bit lonely don't you think?" Lena reposed, "Besides, it's way more fun this way."

Angela decided not to question Lena's sense of entertainment as she found out during the past visits, that Lena was the kind of person to find humor in just about everything. As she gathered the remaining paper planes, she noticed a few bits of words peeking out from the inside of the planes' folds.

She didn't want to ask though, so she simply did as Lena suggested before turning back around to face the open window.

"Alright ready?" Lena asked, receiving a nod from Angela. "On three yeah?"

"1" She began, the both of them raising their arms above their shoulders

"2" they pulled their arms back

"3!" They threw the paper planes out of the window.

To Angela's amazement, not one of the planes from Lena's batch tumbled or fell to the ground, every single one of them was able to catch a breeze and pick up further into the air. While her own simply began wavering in the air or crash-landed prematurely.

Lena snorted out her amusement, "And here I thought Angels could help make anything fly."

Angela felt heat rise to her cheeks at the description most civilians and soldiers used for her come out of Lena's mouth. "My apologies for not being at the same level as the master of paper planes."

Lena nodded, taking the title in jest. "Don't worry love, you'll be reaching my level in no time!"

Angela merely giggled once again, clasping her fingers together behind her back as she turned to the window and watched Lena's planes glide along the breeze with content.

"I wrote all my worries and fears about flying the Slipstream on those." Lena commented with a smile.

Surprise coursed through Angela, filling her very being as she slowly turned to Lena in disbelief. How could someone who was so free with themselves, free against the world, so bright and joyful… be scared?

"I have them all the time you know; what ifs, failure, expectations… the whole field." Lena continued, "I think it's rather healthy! So long as they don't weigh me down, but that's why I send them flying. To let them 'take off' from my shoulders so to speak." She grinned. "That and, what better way to rid your problems then have them fly away?"

Angela understood immediately. Lena was a brilliant upstart, a piloting and seemingly fearless adventurer whose expertise were called on from all over; whether it be to test pilot, or to help guard new lands. The level of expectations placed on her shoulders to perform and achieve more than perfect without complaint and with complete assurance, would be difficult for many to bear.

It was not unlike how Mercy was expected to bear the sigil of an angel for those in need.

Without thinking about it, Angela reached out for Lena's hand, gently grasping it in her own as she continued watching the planes fly away, "Don't worry, I'll be watching over you." She promised.

She was answered with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

And she wished this moment of peace and quiet could last just a bit longer.

But, as she knew, time was persistent in moving on. She examined Lena, checked her out of recovery, gave her the official notice to be allowed back on duty, and bid her farewell. Angela didn't get to see the pilot again until the Slipstream had been completed and she was examining Lena once again. Though this time, they were not in the med bay, but rather in the hangar.

Though, Lena made working a bit difficult for Angela seeing as the pilot kept bouncing in place.

"Lena, please." Angela breathed with amused exasperation.

"Sorry love, but I just can't keep still! I have to get out there!" Lena exclaimed eagerly. "The skies are calling for me!" She rattled, her eyes completely glued on the Slipstream already positioned outside the hangar.

Angela smiled, endeared by Lena's excitement and energy. Regardless, there was still work to be done so she continued on, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around Lena's arm. "Hm, the picture of health." The doctor nodded in approval, charting the number down in the system.

"So can I go? I can go right?" Lena asked.

Angela laughed, "You may." She said, taking the cuff off of Lena's arm.

Lena shot off the makeshift medical cot, running off to get into uniform. In her excitement though, she had forgotten her discarded brown canvas jacket lined with wool at the collar and inside that was left hanging on the back seat of Angela's chair. Quickly, the doctor grabbed it and rushed a few steps ahead to call after the young woman. "Lena, you forgot your jacket!"

"Hold on to it for me love! I'll grab it after I land!" Lena called back, already across the hanger and turning into the changing rooms.

At that moment, Angela briefly wondered whether or not her Valkyrie would be able to catch up to the woman, but as she noticed the softness and warmth of Lena's jacket, she figured she could hold on to it until Lena landed.

… A landing that never came.

Panic had spread all across the boardroom as everyone was in a flurry of distress after the Slipstream and Lena had disappeared into the void. Hands sped across the boards, moving holograms around as they tried to search for the jet, the pilot. Where did they go? Where did they teleport to? When will they come back? How will they contact base? … Is Lena dead? There were so many questions and little to no answers.

Feeling cold and numb to the world, Ana had to shake Angela out of her stupor several times before the doctor would even turn her wide eyes to the captain.

"Come on Mercy! We need you to focus and to come with us." Ana softly, but firmly ordered. "I'm taking a small team out to the area around Lena's disappearance in case she ejected. If we find her, we need you focused and ready to help."

"I-" Angela swallowed, still too shocked to say anything; she could only give a shaky nod, following after Ana and the hastily gathered search team.

They all jogged to the field below where the Slipstream teleported. Spreading immediately as they all search for any signs of disturbance in the area that would give any sign of indication to Lena's life as Angela hurriedly flew from one person to another to help maximize the search… With no results.

They continued their search for the rest of the week, when nothing came up indicating Lena's or the Slipstream's presence, Overwatch had no choice but to presume her dead and hold a funeral.

It was quiet, peaceful.

Angela had refused to attend.

Angela had refused to take that moment of silence for Lena.

Because as a doctor, Mercy knew that if there was no sign or body to indicate one's death, then there was a chance that Lena would still be alive. And so long as there was that one slimmer of hope, Mercy would take it.

… If only Overwatch had given Lena more time.

… If only Angela could have given Lena more time.

Lena's disappearance seemed to have taken an effect on near everyone at base for the coming days. Ana had grown a bit more stoic, a little harsher; she developed a few extra wrinkles, her hair gaining more gray… And everyone noticed her calling her daughter, Fareeha, more often. It seemed as though Ana had unwittingly adopted Lena as a second child, and so her disappearance affected the captain rather immensely. Reindhardt was more or less the same, a lot more somber than usual. Tjorborn had taken it rather harshly, blaming himself primarily as he poured himself over the blueprints and equations of the teleportation matrix. It wasn't odd to find him at the Slipstream's hangar as he continued his search through the computers.

For Mercy though, work was just the usual. She would, of course, try to drop by to check in on Tjorborn, but if it was seldom before, it only occurred rarely now. She spent more nights in her office then she did in her room. She kept Lena's medical chart from the day she flew the Slipstream, reading it over to see if there was any part of the pilot's health that would give any hint to suggest partial reason for her disappearance. Lena's jacket stayed hanging on the back of Mercy's chair, a constant reminder to Mercy of the time gone wrong.

It was a reminder of Mercy's befuddlement. What went wrong? What could they have done to prevent such a thing? She didn't know. She couldn't tell. All she knew was that…

She couldn't keep her promise.

She couldn't watch over Lena.

She wasn't able to until a few months later when Tjorborn announced throughout base in a distressed voice that the Slipstream had been spotted with a distress signal… with Tracer's voice.

It didn't take long for her to drop whatever she was doing and to rush over to the hangar along with the rest of the Slipstream's personnel. The doors to the hangar were rushed open as everyone dashed to their stations, opening monitors and trying to connect to Tracer to help guide her safely to ground.

As luck would have it, the monitors and status on the Slipstream refused to light in display, causing everyone to start shouting the lack of status and information to one another. The only thing everyone had to rely on, was Tracer.

To make things easier, they placed her on the over com to allow everyone in the vicinity to hear.

Angela's heart fluttered in her chest as she leaned closer to the speaker, hoping to get a better sound of Lena's voice. But just as quickly, fear grasped itself around her chest the moment she realized something sounded… wrong.

"T-ce-…. –re! –pe-t…. –ra-r he-! May-" Her voice broke through the com channels as the other employees tried to decipher what she was saying. They all noted that there was little to no static sounding through, and confessed they had no idea why she was breaking up. "-ne-s…. –ng…. fai-ng…. –li-on…. em-t…"

It was as though her voice was fading out, refusing to allow anyone to hear what she had to say.

"I n-d…. –ct!" She tried to yell.

At that moment, the holograms of the Slipstream's condition came to life.

And Angela's heart plummeted down to her stomach.

Anything wrong that could have happened during the Slipstream's flight, seemed to be occurring right at that moment. Two of the Slipstreams engines had failed and its' right wing had caught fire, part of the tail was missing, causing a massive imbalance in the jet and causing it to spin downwards to the earth… and the base.

Lena seemed to realize that, but couldn't decipher her location or whether to go. At the speed of which the jet was spinning, there was no question as to the pilot's lost sense of direction, an imperative need for the pilot if she wanted to guide the jet away from the base.

"She needs a course to direct the jet to!" Mercy yelled, "You need to guide her!"

"There's no way!" An employee shouted, "the computers aren't working, there's no system that would otherwise-"

"Lena, this is your captain speaking." Ana interrupted, pushing her way past Tjorborn to gain better access to the microphone. "Can you hear me? Loud and clear?"

"-nou-h… -e C-tai-…" Lena's voice brokered through.

"I need you to focus on the general direction of the sun, you understand? The general direction of the sun." Ana repeated, "That area is clear of buildings and people. Drive the plane there, and get yourself out!"

"Rog- that –ap-n!" Lena replied before cutting communications.

At that reply, everyone tensely held their breaths as they pulled up the map onto the main projector, watching with bated breath at the blinking marker flickering around a small area close to base.

The moment there was a slight indication of the marker moving away from their location, Angela rushed outside.

"Mercy?!"

"I need to get out there!" Angela yelled, thankful that she had her Valkyrie suit on for testing that day. "She might need help!"

Ana seemed inclined to agree as she barked out orders for a medical team to be arranged and for extra hands to pull out a safety tarp for the pilot.

The desk employees didn't seem to pay mind to her though, as they all rushed out to follow after the doctor in order to get a better look at the falling jet and the condition of their pilot.

As Angela got out of the hangar, she could feel the burning cuts from the wind on her skin, and from the inhalation of metal burning the skies. The sight of the broken Slipstream flew overhead, the sound piercing through the air and roaring in her ears. The jet was much closer to the ground then she had assumed as it sped in the direction toward the setting sun. It wasn't until the jet was a somewhat safe distance away from the base that a person was flung out of the jet and toward the sky…

Angela had to squint her eyes against the bright light to get a better look at the launched body. The body that seemed to disappear for a fraction of a second, before reappearing once more before Angela could question it. The disappearance that seemed to last in half a blink of an eye, before allowing the eye to take sight of it once light entered through. The body that seemed as though it possessed no other ability besides going up, defying all senses of gravity.

The body just kept going up.

And up.

And up.

… But the moment it reached its' peak, stopping all movement for just a fraction of a second… it seemed to remember the one, fundamental law verbalized and written by Issac Newton pertaining to gravity.

What goes up… must come down.

Time seemed to speed up for Angela at that very moment, as she sprinted as fast as she could toward Lena's falling body.

Closer! Closer! She had to be closer! She had to run faster! Faster!

Time was running out! She could see it running out! She could see she was the closest one who could help! She was the only one who could help. She could see death reaching for Lena as she plummeted down to the earth headfirst as she came closer and closer to the surface. Angela had to- she needed to reach her in time before it was too late! If she didn't reach her in time, then it would be too late!

"LENA!" Angela screamed at the top of her lungs, not caring about the burning sensation coursing through her body.

As if hearing her, the pilot weakly stirred, though she snapped out of her stupor the moment she seemed to realize her rapid descent through the sky. Lena tried to right herself, bringing her head up and stomach down with her limbs spread to the side. Wildly looking around, she made eye contact with Angela…

Even from far away, Angela could see the fear in Lena's eyes and pushed herself just a bit further, a bit faster as she reached her hand out toward the pilot in hopes Lena did the same.

"-G-LA!" Lena attempted to cry out as she copied the doctor's gesture to the best of her ability, her body phasing through the air, not unlike the occasional static that is brought up on computers.

Angela didn't pay any heed to the oddity. All she cared about was how the outstretched hand seemed enough for the Doctor's Valkyrie suit to activate and take off toward the falling pilot

Closer. Closer. She was getting closer to Lena. It would be a matter of seconds until the distance between them closed. She could see she was getting closer. She was nearly close enough to grab Lena's hand.

Almost. She was almost there.

She stretched her hand out in front of her as far as she could, her hand turning, her fingers outstretched – ready to curl around a once familiar hand from months ago when they stared out into the sunset in silence.

Their fingers touched and once more Angela felt a weight lift off her chest.

Just a little more, and she would feel their fingers brushing against one another. She was almost there. Just a little more, and she would feel the pads of her fingers whispering against Lena's palm. She was almost there. Just a bit more, and she would feel Lena's fingers wrapping around her wrist in a firm grasp with her own curling around Lena's. She was almost there. Just a little more, and Angela would have Lena.

"I've got you!" Angela assured as she tightened her hand around Lena's wrist, a sigh of relief waiting to be expelled out of her lungs for reaching the other woman.

Before she could even allow it to escaped though… Before she could even maintain a firm grasp of the pilot.

Lena had vanished.

Slipping right through Angela's fingertips.

The happenstance didn't register in Angela's mind as she slowly descended down, her wide eyes starring at the empty space in front of her that used to be occupied by the pilot. Silence pervaded the air around her. Her mind… silent. Her suit was silent, almost as though it understood the disbelief of the situation.

This moment of silence was not welcomed to Angela mind, and yet… silence was all that could be given.

She had Lena. She did. She had Lena in her grasp. And yet… Lena had slipped right through her fingertips.

Lena had disappeared and Angela had no idea as to where.

It was only when she was nearly back down on earth, did a sudden weight suddenly drop onto her. The weight threw her off balance, causing her to fall those several feet to the ground and land on her back. The suddenness caused her to gasp in surprise as she lurched up. The realization of the cause of the weight though, made her wrap her arms around the warm body on top of her.

Lena had appeared in Angela's arms, wrapping her own tightly around the doctor as her body trembled as though cold.

Heavy, gasping breaths were shuddered into the crook of Angela's neck as she felt a dampness spreading through on her under suit.

Words seemed to fail the pilot at the moment, as the weight on Angela shifted on an off of her body. It was as though one moment Lena was there, with her, and then the next, gone.

Understanding the fear and confusion that Lena was undoubtedly facing, Angela merely tightened her hold on Lena to the best of her ability as the remaining medical personnel slowly gathered around them.

"Don't worry, I've got you…" Angela whispered in reassurance. Though… she had no idea who she was trying to reassure.

In the coming days, Mercy had taken it upon herself to look after Lena and see to her condition. The pilot was appointed to an adjacent room to Mercy's office for observation and she was given a large team of medics and scientists to help find a means to a cure.

The first couple of weeks were hard, as Mercy didn't know what to do during the times Lena would randomly disappear and would often get frustrated at herself for not being able to predict these occurrences. The first couple of months were difficult, as no one knew what to do for Lena's case or what was even happening to her. They couldn't even equip her with any of their medical machinery because of her inability to maintain her physical form.

After a few months of constant observation and a few rare, brief discussions with Lena in regards to confusion in the passage of time, Mercy concluded that the pilot was suffering from chronal disassociation.

It only became evident after noticing that Lena had difficulty keeping track of what was her "present", often saying that Mercy had asked a particular question already or mumbling about whether something in particular has happened. Figuring it out was difficult, as Lena was only available for observation for an hour at most in a week. After the realization though, Mercy was able to portray her findings to her team and work towards a chronal chamber. It wasn't perfect, but at the very least it would hopefully help Lena maintain her physical form for just a little longer and allow observations to flow easier. And with Lena's inability to stay in the present, every second counted.

But after a year with no results, or even a step closer to finding a means of help for Lena, Overwatch began to lose hope and had no choice but to call in another renowned scientist.

Mercy stared into the empty chamber with heavy bags under her eyes. She brought a hand up to the window and gave a weary sigh as she pressed her forehead against the cold glass.

She was a doctor. She was a scientist. She was one of the best in the world. She was probably the best hope there was to helping Lena. So she should have been able to find a way to help Lena. So why couldn't she help Lena?

"You should be resting love"

Snapping her head back and retracting her hand away as though burned, Mercy brought her eyes up to meet Lena's strained smile.

Mercy could only muster a sad smile back to the prisoned girl. "I'll rest when our help has arrived and I bring him up to speed."

Lena stayed silent, her eyes flickering back and fourth between Mercy's as though searching for something. If she found what it was that she was looking for, she showed no indication. Instead, she brought her phasing hand up to the window, pressing it against the glass pane.

Mercy mirrored the ghostly apparition so their hands could meet with one another the best they can.

"Don't worry love," Lena whispered with a grin, "Everything will turn out fine. You'll see."

Mercy could only stay silent for a moment, having difficulty believing that statement when for an entire year, everything turned out to be just the opposite of "fine".

But, Mercy knew that there was still hope for Lena, otherwise they wouldn't have asked for help. So with a small smile and a tiny nod, she gently closed her hand against the glass pane and pressed her forehead back against the warm window while Lena did the same.

There was still hope for Lena.

She still had time.

As Lena disappeared, yet again, right before Mercy's eyes… A lone tear forced its' way out of the corner of her eyes as Angela wished that they had more time.

On the arrival of the recruited help from Dr. Winston, Mercy found herself, for the first time in a long time, being ushered away after sharing her reports with the scientist as he promised that he would have the means to a solution in the coming weeks.

The situation was more than just a little jarring, as she had never had work taken from her before. Especially work that had taken up most of her time for the better part of a year. But she found herself more frustrated than anything else. For the better part of a year, she had worked endlessly to find a way to help Lena with little to no results.

Within the first few days of Winston's arrival, he was able to come up with a plan in which to anchor Lena's body in the present.

All that time she spent with nothing, and the little time he managed with an end.

It was maddening for her.

But… it also meant that Lena was getting help. And in the end, that was what mattered.

So, Mercy took her hands off of Lena's case, handing it over freely to Winston and letting him know that if he needed any assistance, she would be more than happy and ready to help. In the meantime, she occupied herself with her usual paper work in the med bay.

She went back to her original routine rather quickly, double check her previous paperwork, make her rounds, check in on patients, work on patients, collect more paperwork, and then do her paperwork. It was… mundane. Mercy had never felt so unsatisfied with her work before until these few weeks. She tried to check in on Lena when she could, but Winston had occupied the room as his workspace and Mercy feared interrupting his focus. So she never got the chance to see Lena for the month… And no one else got the chance to spend time with Mercy either.

Time seemed numb to Mercy.

Even as the doctor kept burying herself in the papers that were messily spread before her late into the night with only the lamp at the desk as her light source, she refused to stop or even taking the time to glance up until finishing everything on her desk. It was only then that she would decide to take a brief moment to stretch and roll the kinks out of her neck while glancing over to the glowing clock by the door.

Until one night she noticed that the clock wasn't the only thing glowing.

Right by the door with a luminous, cyan light at the center of her chest illuminating her features, Lena sat, her body slack in the chair and with her head propped on her hand resting against the armrest. Her mouth was slightly open with a bit of drool sliding out from the corner and with light, near quiet snores escaping.

Wide eyed from shock, Angela slowly stood up, cautiously making her way toward the sleeping woman, afraid that if she made any sudden movement, or sudden sound, then the moment would shatter and Lena would disappear right before Angela's eyes once again.

Still, Angela wanted to ensure that this was real, that Lena was indeed sitting before her. So the moment she was in reach, Angela slowly brought her hands up… and ever so gently, just ghosting against Lena's skin, did she caress her jaw and neck.

Stirring awake, Lena bleary turned her head, lifting it off of her hand to allow it to fall onto the back of Angela's. She rose her other, placing it on Angela's waist as she fluttered her eyes open, trying to blink the sleep away.

A sharp intake of breath hitched in Angela's lungs at the assurance of Lena's physical body being there, in the present. The touch was very much there. Her presence was very much there. Angela's hand cupped Lena's in a much more firm grasp, her head slowly fell down on top of messy brown hair, Angela's forehead bumping on the top. She was there.

"Don't worry," Lena said as she gently traced her hand to Angela's back to rub in comfort, pulling her in just a little tighter for a firm embrace as parted her legs to make room for doctor to settle in between. "I've got you."

The doctor felt more than heard the grin that Lena gave at that line, and couldn't help but let a gasping breath of a chuckle out. "I do believe that is my line."

"It seemed appropriate though." Lena giggled, wrapping her other arm around Angela's back as she leaned her head back, causing her forehead to bump against Angela's nose.

Angela pulled her head away, wrinkling her nose slight to rid of the tickling sensation as she allowed her hands to gently fall, repositioning them onto Lena's shoulders. Schooling her features, she looked down and into Lena's bright eyes that were filled with mirth, and couldn't help but relax as a smile graced her features. "How long were you waiting?"

"Not long at all love."

"Is there a reason for you being here?" Angela asked, her thumb lightly rubbing up and down at the crook of Lena's neck.

"… Winston asks that you observe me for a time being." Lena stated, her hands gently sliding down to Angela's lower back as she slowly stood up from the chair. "Just to make sure I'm in tip top shape with the chrono accelerator."

Angela smiled, "Tell me tomorrow." She said as she leaned forward to tighten her hold on Lena and forcing her head to burrow against the crook of her neck while Angela nuzzled into Lena's. "But for now, just give me this moment of peace and quiet. Please."

She felt Lena's heavy, exhaled breathe, the muscles in her shoulders relaxed as she tightened her own hold on Angela. She felt Lena nod against her shoulders in agreement to her request, and Angela suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

They had time… But for now, she just wanted this moment.


End file.
